COUNTY CHAMPS!

MIKE BOGAN

Published 1:30 pm, Monday, April 25, 2016

…Huron County champions.

The wait was worth it for the Hatchets, who, along with Ubly, Harbor Beach and Owendale-Gagetown, had to wait a few extra weeks to get in Tuesday's Huron Daily Tribune/Huron County Baseball Tournament. In the end, Bad Axe's combination of sound defense and pitching - along with some timely hitting ÐÊhelped it secure the title, capped by a 3-1 decision over the Pirates in the finals.

David Smith went all the way on the mound in the title game to pick up the win for the Hatchets, yielding just four hits. He also tossed the final 1 1/3 innings in Bad Axe's 4-1 decision over Ubly in the semifinals.

"Dave threw a great game for us," said Bad Axe coach Wayne Turmell, whose Hatchets hadn't won the county title since 2000. "Pitching and defense, that was the key. If they can't score, they can't win."

Jason Iskow delivered the big hit for the Hatchets in the championship game, flipping a one-out single into rightfield in the third inning which plated two runs. Iskow later scored on a double to the left-field fence from Kelly Durr.

"Finally, it was bloop single for us," Turmell said. "It's happened against us all year. It finally went the other way."

That was more than enough for Smith, who did yield a run in Harbor

Beach's half of third inning on a double from Dave Connell and an RBI-single from Zach Martinez.

The Pirates never threatened after that, though.

Iskow picked up the win for Bad Axe in its semifinal decision over Ubly, tossing 3 2/3 innings. He yielded a run in the opening inning on a hit-batsman, a walk, and an error. He came back, though, in the second frame and struck out the side. Iskow fanned six and gave up just two hits. Smith earned the save.

Offensively, the Hatchets scored in the opening inning on a single from Dan Lasceski, and an RBI-single from Iskow. Bad Axe scored once more in the second inning on a single from Durr, and an RBI-single from Justin Cameron.

The Hatchets added two insurance runs in the fourth frame. Singles from Durr and Alex Smith, along with three errors in the inning, made for the winning margin.

Eric Pichla had a double and Joel Maurer a single for the Bearcats.

The Pirates advanced to the finals with a 5-0 blanking over Owen-Gage in the other semifinal. Shane Polega fired a two-hitter with five Ks for the Pirates.

He got all the support he needed in the opening inning when the Pirates plated four runs. Singles from Chris Tyrrell and Nick Sopczynski, along with three Owen-Gage errors, gave Harbor Beach the early lead. The Pirates added one more run in the second inning to make for the winning margin.

Owen-Gage had Trace Lopez with a double and Josh Leinweber with a single.